Sofo Saves the Day

That guy is good at being big.

He reminds me of a cross between stanley roberts and the hipo in madagascar 2

A couple of days ago Sofo said in a Greek newspaper that it is very likely he will come to the Clippers this summer. He is in the best shape of his life (which may not mean much considering how fast he was even a year ago) and his contract with Olympiakos runs out this season, so I don’t think it’s just talk. However, it’s been seven years since he was drafted; therefore he is no longer constrained by the rookie contract scale and negotiations will not be easy, as he will be a pretty hot name in Europe this summer (especially if Tiago Splitter signs with the Spurs). The fact that he is currently playing for one of the richest clubs in world (his teammates include Josh Childress and Linas Kleiza) further complicates matters, at least financially.

BTW you should be able to watch him at the Euroleague final four in May (probably via ESPN 360 or NBA TV). Olympiakos qualified last week, beating Aseco Prokom, a Polish team featuring Qyntel Woods and Daniel Ewing, who was great throughout this series. Sofo had a rough series, but he was great in the deciding game, with 12 points and 7 boards.

This season, aside from staying in shape, he has improved his free throw shooting, which has helped his offensive game a lot, considering how often he gets fouled. He has also cut down on silly fouls and emerged as a true defensive force for his team, especially in pick and roll situations.

On the other hand he is not a good defensive rebounder, lacks the length to block or alter many shots and even though his footwork is great, his offensive game is quite raw (i.e. he outmuscles everyone, establishes deep position and finishes with a dunk or a short hook). But I guess he could be a great energy guy off the bench for the Clippers, provided he continues to work on his conditioning and works on his moves 3 ft away from the basket.